If Only
by Bobbers
Summary: If only I had the guts to feel this way.Hanson, Part 3 of 3 added.
1. If Only

Disclaimer:    The characters aren't mine, and I am also not connected in any way to Hanson (This song, "If Only" is on their CD "This Time Around").

Spoilers:         General through season five (up to "Eppur Si Muove"), especially "Noel"

Category:       Song-fic, Josh/Donna (Part 1/3)

I know this isn't a great story or anything, but I had a lot of fun writing it.  Actually, I was just delaying some English homework.  J  I do think this song describes their relationship well, though.  Thanks for taking the time to read!

**If Only**

_If only I had the guts to feel this way  
And if only you'd look at me and want to stay  
If only I'd take you in my arms and say,   
I won't go, 'cause I need you_

"Josh.  Josh.  JOSH!" my assistant's voice jolts me from my daydream.

"What, Donna?" I say, annoyed.  "I'm in the middle of something."

"Yeah, it looks like it," she smirks.  I look at my desk and for once it's mostly clean with only a copy of the _Wall Street Journal_ and my closed laptop staring back at me.  "Anyway," she continues, "I need to leave a couple hours early tonight…is that all right?"

"Yeah, I guess...can you bring me the file from this morning that we talked about?"

"Sure," she replies and promptly returns with a neat folder containing the important document.  "So, do you like my hair straight or should I wear it up?"

I'm already immersed in reading the file, so I respond somewhat carelessly, "It doesn't matter; it looks the same every day.  Why's it important now?"  Suddenly I become suspicious.  "Donna, do you have a date?"

For a second, she looks slightly guilty, then she straightens up and says almost proudly, "Yes, I have a date.  His name is David, and he's a really great guy."

I stare at her for a minute before my facial muscles and mouth can muster the ability to say what I have been screaming in my head for the past minute.  "Donna, please tell me what you just said was not the reason I let you out of work early tonight."  I barrel forward thoughtlessly, "I cannot for the life of me understand where you get your sense sometimes.  _None_ of the 'really great guys' you've had in the past have been anywhere near good!  These guys you go out with are a bunch of losers and you know it!  Why won't you wait for someone who respects you?"

She's staring at me with a look that I really don't like.  It's so quiet in here I can hear the noises from outside the closed office door.  I have to say something.  "I'm…never mind what I just said," I hear myself saying, resigned.  "You have a right to date whomever you please."  I was about to add another statement, but she cuts in.

"Yes, you're absolutely correct in that I have a right to date whomever I please," she snaps.  "I didn't think I had to ask your consent before I start seeing someone, but apparently you think I do."  I really don't like where this conversation is headed.

"No, I don't," I say.  "I just don't enjoy seeing you…hey where are you going?"  She just marched out of my office.  I sigh and sit back down at the desk.

_I sit here waiting, wondering, hoping_

_Gotta__ make this right_

A few hours later I hear a soft knock at the door.  "Come in," I say distractedly.  I've felt strangely unfocused since my conversation with Donna.

"I'm going to leave now," she says quietly.  "I'll be in early tomorrow to finish what I was working on.  Good night."

I want to say something to her, but I can't come up with anything appropriate.  "Have fun," I call, meaning anything but that.  It must have worked, though, because I see her look back at me and offer a quick smile.  Not quite as distracted as I was earlier, I sit back down and look through some memos on my desk.

The next morning, after grabbing some coffee, I sit down at my desk and read the newspaper for a minute before looking at the day schedule.  It's 7:00, and I have a meeting at 9:00.  I glance up as I hear my assistant's voice.

"Good morning, Josh," she says.

"Hey," I say, eager to make amends for last night.  "How was your date?"

"It was great," she replies cheerfully.  "I had a nice time."

"That's good," I respond brightly.  She notices my fake enthusiasm and frowns at me.  "I'm sorry about last night," I say softly.  "I really just want you to be happy."

Apparently my last comments made her happy because she grins at me.  Whenever she looks at me that way, I feel myself melting.  I make a mental note to try to say something sweet to her every day.  I wanna make her glow as bright as the stars.

The day continues to progress as normal.  I already had a meeting with a couple of Republican senators this morning, so naturally I am not in the greatest of moods by the afternoon.  I am just about to report to Leo on the productivity of the meetings when I overhear Donna talking with Toby's assistant Ginger.

"Yeah, it sucked," Donna says.  "It was a complete disaster.  I don't know what attracted me to him.  Luckily, Josh doesn't know, and that's a good thing because I don't think I'd ever be able to face him again."

"Okay, I won't tell him," Ginger says.  "Sorry…I gotta get back to work."

Donna's comment about how she could never face me again if I found out about her horrible date stings a little more than I would have thought.  I think it's because she feels she can't trust me…I'm not sure why that bothers me so much.  I ponder this for a few minutes before I get back to work and try to figure out exactly how I feel and what I should do.  I definitely don't want to confront her because I can't stand to make her sad and I don't want her to think I'm gloating.  But I also don't want her to believe that she couldn't tell me something that is important to her.  I'm constantly trying to figure out my relationship with her.  She's probably the person that I'm closest to and understands me the best.  I only hope the feeling is mutual…

_Then I hear myself reply she'll never let you in_

By the end of the day I'm pretty tired.  On the other hand, there are very few days in this administration that I've gone home anything but tired.  I drive home and drag myself up to my apartment.  I turn on the TV for a few minutes and stare silently out the window.  I remember awhile ago how Donna (and a psychologist) helped me to stop smashing my hand through windows.  I sigh and wonder for the millionth time why she felt she needed to lie to me about her date.  I sigh again now, realizing all my thoughts turn to her.

_All I think about is your hands, your face, and all these lonely nights.   
There's a feeling, screaming in the back of my head_

_Saying over and over:  
Gonna hold you, love you in my arms and then  
Don't wanna leave you, 'cause I need to be with you 'til the end_

The next day when I get to my office, I feel strangely disoriented.  I must not have gotten enough sleep last night.  Normally, I live on never getting enough sleep, but thinking about Donna perhaps drained me of any extra energy.  When she arrives, I greet her.  I think she knows I know something about her and by the way she's looking at me, I think she wants me to confront her.  I want her to voluntarily tell me the truth.  I can already feel it's going to be a hard day.

Later this morning I am in the middle of reading a memo that Will's office faxed here when Donna interrupts.

"Hey," she says.  "I have to tell you something that I think you may already know.  I swear, if you do, I'll kill Ginger."

"Okay, but don't kill Ginger…she didn't say anything to me," I reply.  "I overheard you talking yesterday.  I'm sorry your date sucked."  I look at the floor, trying to gather enough nerve to actually ask her why she didn't tell me the truth.

She looks relieved and embarrassed at the same time.  "I'm sorry I lied," she says quietly.  "I should have told you the truth from the beginning.  You were right; I really can't choose worthwhile guys."

She looks sad so I say carefully, "I think there's probably someone right now who admires you and finds you to be absolutely perfect…maybe you just have to look harder."  I hope she doesn't figure out I'm talking about myself, at least not yet.

Donna smiles and says, "Do you wanna hear what happened on the date?  It was so awful."

"Sure," I respond, my mind a million miles away, in a land where only Donna and I lived together and she always glowed as bright as the stars.


	2. That Don't Impress Me Much

Disclaimer:    I don't own the characters on "The West Wing" or have rights to Shania Twain's song, "That Don't Impress Me Much".  (This song is on "Come On Over".)

Spoilers:         General through the fifth season, and one brief reference to a scene in the episode "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen"

Category:       Song-fic (Part 2/3), Donna POV

Thanks for reading and reviewing my last chapter!  J

**That Don't Impress Me Much**

"Well, just to let you know, I feel like such a fool.  I actually let Ainsley set me up again, naturally with another Republican," I say.  That should have been my first clue.  I cannot understand why I let her talk me into another blind date.  I was miserable the whole night, and her definition of "really great guys" are really, really awful.

"Uh…Donna?" I hear my boss's voice.  "Are you all right?  You seemed to just stop talking."  Now I feel my cheeks heating up.  I must've thought I was talking when I was really just thinking to myself.

"Yes, I'm sorry," I interject quickly.  I don't want Josh to start making fun of me again.  He's been, for the most part, very sweet about the whole situation, which actually surprised me.  He's never that understanding of my dates.  "Anyway, this is what happened," I say, already thinking back a couple nights ago.

_2 nights ago_

"Hi, my name's David…you must be Donna?" David greeted me.  Of course, first impressions are very important to me, so at the first glance of my date, when I see a nice-looking, dark-haired guy, I immediately flipped my hair back and gave him a bright smile.

"Yes, I'm very pleased to meet you," I said.  I hope I didn't sound too eager.

"Me too," he said.  "Are you ready to go inside?"  We were at a nice Italian restaurant.

"Sounds great," I answered.  We walked inside and were immediately seated.  I asked about his family and background.  I learned he had two brothers and one sister.  His mother had passed away about five years ago to cancer and his father was a doctor.  He went to Harvard to study law, but currently works for a Republican senator from Indiana.

"So…about you…what do you do?" David asked me.  "I know you work in the White House, but that's pretty much all I know."

"Well, I'm an assistant," I told him.  "I work for the deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman, and my day usually consists of doing whatever it is that he needs…" my voice trailed off as David's cell phone started to ring.  David jumped up in a rush and hurried to the nearest corner, almost colliding with a waitress.  I figured it was an important phone call, but finally after nearly five minutes I looked over at him and he was laughing into the phone, obviously enjoying the date interruption.  I sighed and tapped my heel impatiently under the table.  David finally returned to the table, his lame excuse about something coming up at work definitely did not fool me.  However, in an effort to be polite, I decided to ignore his rudeness and focus on the rest of the night.  Big mistake…

By the time our appetizers had arrived, David had managed to insult just about everything I believe in and support, which was actually nothing compared to his egotistical and selfish personality.

_Okay, so you've got a car   
That don't impress me much  
Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're all right   
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night_

"So, Donna?  What kind of car do you drive?  Everything I do in my free time involves cars, ironically, in some way or another," David asks.  It was the first question he asked me after returning to the table.  I told him.

"That piece of junk?!?!" he exclaimed.  "That definitely won't do for my girlfriend.  I will help you find a better, more suitable vehicle for you to drive."  Okay, there were two problems at that point.  First, he assumed that I was his girlfriend, and second, of course, he just offended me with his "you have to find a better car to be good enough for me" comment.  While I admit he didn't actually say those exact words, it was implied.  I didn't respond to his statement and just hoped the topic of conversation would change.  Luckily (or maybe not so luckily) for me, the subject did change…this time he practically spoke a monologue on how he cleverly acquired his job from his best friend's cousin's fiancée or someone, I honestly stopped listening.  I was too busy humming a tune in my head.

_I've known a few guys who thought they were pretty smart   
But you've got being right down to an art   
You think you're a genius you drive me up the wall   
You're a regular original a know it all_

"So, anyway, I ended up running into his cousin and his wife-to-be, who was working for Senator Isaacs from Indiana at the time.  Of course, his cousin gets on my every last nerve, but his fiancée had offered me a job.  Naturally, being over-qualified for the position, I politely declined the offer.  Then, bam!  One Sunday afternoon, I'm sitting out in my brand-new Mercedes Benz, just drinking some iced tea and soaking up the sun when I get a call from Senator Isaacs from Indiana!  He said, 'I understand Betsy, who works under me, offered you a job and you declined.  I am in a going to win the seat in Indiana and I am calling to personally offer you a job position in my office.  I have heard from some of my employees of your impressive job experience and performance, and I would very much like to make you part of the staff.'  He went on and on to tell me all about the job, which was the same job that Betsy, his fiancée offered.  I again, politely said no.  Then Senator Isaacs sighed, paused, and offered me a different, much more prominent position on his staff.  I told him I would think about it for a couple days and get back to him.  Just like that, bam!  A great, well-paying job.  All you gotta do is know what you want."

I briefly wondered what David would have thought about me practically hiring myself in Josh's office during the campaign.  I don't think he would have been very impressed with that.  On the other hand, he didn't ever seem to tire of the sound of his own voice, so I didn't get a chance to tell him about that incident.

Luckily, just then our main courses arrived.  I twirled some spaghetti viciously and shoved it in my mouth, trying at least to enjoy the food, if not the company.  Unfortunately for me, David was pretty intent on making the evening a completely miserable time for me.

_I never knew a guy who carried a mirror in his pocket   
And a comb up his sleeve--just in case   
And all that extra hold gel in your hair oughtta lock it   
'Cause heaven forbid it should fall outta place_

During dinner, I found myself completely bored and annoyed by David's lack of interest in anything that involved me or, to be more specific, in anything that did not involve him.  The worst point, however, came during dessert when he excused himself for a minute to use the restroom.

"All right.  Well, I gotta go to the men's room for a minute, do you mind terribly?"

I silently thanked the heavens, at least he was polite this time.  "Oh, of course not." I said, probably a little too happily.  He left and I all but jumped for joy.  Dessert was almost over and soon I could be at home reading a good book.  This would absolutely be the last blind date I would ever go on, I vowed.  A few minutes later, David returned and just as he was sitting down again, I saw him slip a comb into his front pocket.  He must have interrupted dessert to comb his hair.  That even struck me as strange…that is, until I saw two young scantily dressed, probably college-age girls waiting for a table.  They winked at him, and I rolled my eyes.  David, however, seemed to enjoy this, and he quickly checked his hair in a little pocket mirror and tried to get the girls' attention again.  When he couldn't meet their eyes, he quickly left his seat to talk to them.

"I…uh, I have to go now," he said abruptly.  What romantic last words for our date.  I watched as he walked up to the girls, introduced himself, and within two minutes, walked out of the restaurant, arms linked between them and got into his car.  I was shocked by this final display of rudeness, but the bill still needed to be paid and my dessert was not yet done.  I quietly finished my dessert, paid the bill, and left the restaurant in my "not good enough" car.

"So…that was my terrible date," I finish telling Josh.  Even two days later, I feel ridiculous.  Josh is staring at me, dumbfounded.

"Donna," he begins, but I interrupt him.

"I know, I know," I say.  "You think he treated me awful, I can't choose guys any better myself, Republicans are no good, and Ainsley is really bad at setting people up."

Josh smiled a little.  "You just said what I was trying to nicely paraphrase."

I smile sadly.  "Josh, sometimes I just think no one in the world is right for me."

Josh looks at me for a few moments and then embraces me gently.  "I don't think you truly know how special you are.  You're one of a kind."  He then releases me and goes back to work.  For a long time, though, I ponder his comments and think about how I always feel like I'm at home in his arms.  I wonder why the world feels perfect when I am close to him.  I cannot be in love with him…that's not reasonable.  And even if I was in love with him…he is not in love with me.  Or is he?


	3. You're the Inspiration

Disclaimer:    The characters on "The West Wing" are not mine, and I do not have the rights to the song "You're the Inspiration" (which is on a few different CDs, one being "Chicago 17").

Spoilers:         None

Category:       Song-fic, Josh/Donna, Part 3/3 (This is in Josh's POV again…the first part was in his POV, too and the second part was Donna's POV.)

This takes place sometime in the fifth season, but before the last five episodes of the season, so sometime before "Access".

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!  I am very sorry I didn't upload this chapter sooner…I could not figure out how I wanted the story to end.  As it is, it's pretty unrealistic and very impractical for the show, and basically it's just the result of the end of the school year…Anyway, thanks for reading!

**You're the Inspiration**

I know Donna didn't mean to hurt me by not telling me the truth about her date, and I know I was pretty cruel when I told her she doesn't know how to choose good men, but the more I think about it, the more hurt I get by the fact that she did, in fact, purposely lie to me.  And the more I think about this, the more irritated I'm becoming with myself for contemplating her (or our…) problems when I should actually be focusing on national problems.  Now, as I sit at my desk, I can her profile from a few feet away as she is talking with some of the other assistants, and my mind just starts to wander…

I wonder why she can't talk to me the way I'd like her to…of course I know that's just ridiculous…I mean, how would I like her to talk to me anyway?  She is my assistant…although even I would acknowledge she's more than just an assistant.  So what does she mean to me?  I honestly can't answer that question, either for fear of the answer or because I'm not totally certain myself.  Either way, I can feel things are going to be changing between us, which is a thought that frightens me a little.  I'm so comfortable with Donna; our banter, our strictly professional working relationship…everything is just _normal_.

"Uh, Josh?" I quickly look up at my assistant's puzzled expression.

"Yes?" I hope she didn't know I was thinking about her.  She's pretty good at reading my mind.

"I think you're supposed to have a senior staff meeting right now."  I glance at the clock.  Oops.  She's right.  She's always right…

"Uh, okay.  I'm on my way." I jump up from the desk and nervously walk around her and head to the Oval Office.  I'm sure jittery today for some reason.

_You should know, everywhere I go__Always on my mind, in my heart_

_In my soul___

"Josh?  What do you think?" Leo's voice somehow jolts me back to reality, from, of course, Donnaland.

"Um, definitely, it's a good idea," I say, lacking any conviction.  Leo gives me a sharp look.  CJ and Toby are also staring at me with bewildered expressions.

"What?" I ask.

"Well, it's just I thought you were…you know, smart," Toby said, annoyed.

"Is there something on your mind today, Josh?" Leo looks like he's trying to figure me out.  Ha…like he'll ever do that…Donna can't even do that sometimes…well, most of the time she can, though.  Donna can actually do that practically _all_ the time.

"Josh!" Yikes, Leo snapped at me, not a good thing.

"Uh, yeah, I just…it's nothing.  Nothing's up."

"Okay, well, I guess we'll take into consideration your point of view, although you must know it's bizarrely ridiculous, especially now.  Anyway, get back to work." Leo dismisses us, and I leave quickly, before CJ and Toby can question me.

I'm back at my desk, thinking about Donna, naturally.  I think I'm through being hurt by her lie.  It's very hard, though.  And I'm pretty sure she knows I'm a little upset by it.  I sigh, grab some Tylenol for a headache that's threatening to attack, and look through some papers on my desk.

"Josh?" Donna interrupts what could quite possibly be the first time all day that I've actually begun to concentrate on something.

"What?" I snap, my exasperation evident.  By the look on her face, I know I've offended her.  This day is not going well.

"I'm sorry."  Her voice sounds so small now.  "I just wanted to ask you if you'd let me go a couple hours early tonight.  I couldn't volunteer last weekend, and I was really hoping to volunteer tonight.  I already set up everything you need for the night."

"I didn't know you volunteer.  Where at?" I ask curiously.  I learn new things about Donnatella Moss everyday.

"At the nursing home," she explains.  "I love visiting with the elderly.  They're so sweet.  And they've got great stories to tell."

"Oh, sure, that's fine, I guess," I tell her.  "Is that at the nursing home a couple blocks from your apartment?"

"Yeah, it's a pretty nice place.  Hey, you should come by sometime and visit the residents with me!  They'd love that!"

"Okay, well, maybe sometime.  Have fun," I say.  "Good night."

"Good night, Josh."

It's a pretty slow night here.  Any time Donna's not here, it seems to be a pretty slow day.  Her invitation to visit the nursing home sure sounds fun.  I, too, have always adored the elderly.  I look through my daily schedule.  I had wrapped up everything early in the afternoon and now I was pretty much just looking for some work to do.  I decide to do something I've rarely, if ever, done.  I am going to leave early.  I go to Leo's office to make sure nothing important came up, and he gives me the okay, so I head out to my car and drive to the nursing home.

As soon as I walked in, I hear Donna's laugh coming from one of the rooms.  I check in at the desk and pin on my visitor's badge.  I walk down the hallway and pause in front of the room Donna's in.  She doesn't know I'm here, so I watch her talk and laugh for a few minutes with a resident, whom I suppose is Rose (which is the name on the door).  The resident is talking and laughing also, and I'm pretty sure that the time Donna visits is one of the few times Rose laughs like that.  Donna does have a special gift for making people happy.

_You're the meaning in my life__You're the inspiration__You bring feeling to my life_

_You're the inspiration_

I ponder Donna's special gifts as I watch her and Rose some more.  Looking at the two of them, I begin to realize that my relationship with Donna is so special because I admire her as much as she admires me.  Not only do I admire her and her me, but we also inspire each other to be the best we can be.  What an amazing team.

"Excuse me, sir, but if you're here to visit, you may actually have to go into the room," a nurse says with a smile.  "Would you like to visit with Rose and Donna?  I can let them know you're here."

"Uh, sure," I say a little hesitantly.  I'd much rather stand in the hall observing Donna, but I know that's not a very sensible option.

The nurse opens the door wider and motions for me to enter.  I come in and Donna looks surprised.  After saying thank you to the nurse, I introduce myself to Rose.

"I'm Josh, Donna's friend," I say.

"A pleasure to meet you Joshua," she says.  Joshua?  Well, okay, then.  "I've heard many good things about you," she continues.  "Donna seems to enjoy talking about you.  Although sometimes we just plain laugh at you.  Not in a bad way, of course, since I've only heard good things." She winks at Donna, who looks a little uncomfortable.

I don't know how to respond to that comment without making Donna more uncomfortable, so I shrug and offer a little smile.  Rose leans over and pats my shoulder.

"You're her boss.  I imagine you work her hard?"

What kind of question is that, I wonder.  "Well, yes, but she's very competent," I say, confused.

Donna agrees.  "Yeah, he works me, but I know how to handle it."  She's smiling at me.  I grin at her.

Rose looks interested.  "So, what you're saying is she's the person who really runs your office?"

Well, I certainly know how to get trapped.  "I suppose," I say.  Both Donna and Rose are smirking at me now.  Great.

"Rose, would you like to eat dinner now?" Donna asks.  "I can go get your tray."

"Thank you, sweetheart," Rose says.

Donna leaves, and Rose turns her attention to me.

_I know that it's plain to see__We're so in love when we're together_

"So, what is going on?" she asks.

I have no idea what she's talking about.  "I don't know…what do you mean?" I ask.

"You know exactly," she says knowingly.  "You and her.  You and Donna.  She's more than just your assistant.  You love her," she adds rather perceptively.

There are a million places I'd rather be than here right at this moment.  "Uh, um, no, yes, I…" I'm sputtering now.

"Joshua?  The woman loves you back.  It doesn't take a genius to figure this one out," Rose says firmly.

I'm suddenly finding the floor the most interesting thing in the world.

"Rose, your dinner's here," Donna says, placing the tray on the table.

"Sweetheart, would you mind running back and getting me a glass of water?  And can you find a nurse?  I need to take my medicine," Rose says sweetly.

"Sure, I forgot.  I'll be back in a few minutes.  Josh, is everything all right?"  Donna's looking at me a little strangely.

"Yeah, I'm great," I say.  I can hardly look at her, with Rose staring at me and her intensely.

"Okay…" her voice trails off as she looks at Rose and back to me.  "If you need anything, just let me know," she adds, leaving the room.

_When you love somebody__'Til the end of time__When you love somebody__Always on my mind_

_No one needs you more than I_

Rose and I are the only two in the room again.  This naturally signals the continuation of the interrogation.

"You don't recognize the fact that you love her, do you?" Rose asks curiously.

"No, I mean, yes, I know I love Donna," I say quietly.  "But I think it's a different kind of love than what you mean."

"I think you _want_ it to be different than what I'm describing because she works for you and it'd be considered inappropriate.  But that's not what it really _is_.  You have an opportunity for a great life with a wonderful woman, but you think you can't do anything about it.  I'm here to tell you, you most definitely can.  My husband and I were married for 50 glorious years.  Of course, now he's passed on, but those 50 years we were together were the happiest of my life.  In the beginning, everyone told us, 'Your marriage will never last.'  No one wanted us to be together, but I say, if you love someone, you need to do something about it, because otherwise I know you'd end up regretting what could have been."

I'm silent for a few moments.  What she said certainly made sense.  Donna and I…we could have something everlasting.  We were more focused on the eight years of the administration than the rest of our lives.  Suddenly, just as Donna arrives with the nurse and a glass of water, I bolt from the room.  Rose smiles and Donna looks completely confused.

Nothing can stop me now.  I've already made a stop at a certain store and now I need to buy some roses.  At the floral shop, I choose some pretty pink roses and carefully wrap them in paper until I can get a vase.  I drive to the White House and rush to my office.  There, I place the roses in the vase and put them on my desk.  Then I call Donna's apartment.  She should be home from the nursing home by now…it's getting pretty late.  Actually, the later it gets, the more nervous I become.  Earlier, when I was busy, I wasn't quite as nervous.  The phone rings twice before she picks up.

"Hello," she says, sounding sleepy.

"Hi, it's me, I need you to come in right now," I say in a rush.

"What?  Josh, why now?  Can't it wait until morning?" she asks.  "I'm pretty tired.  By the way, why did you just run off in the nursing home this evening?"

"You'll find out soon.  Come in now.  Come to my office," I say.

She sighs.  "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

About a half hour later, I hear her arrive.  My heart is pounding so hard I can practically hear it.  She's knocking on my door.

"Come in," I say nervously.

"Josh, what in the world could be so important…" she trails off at the sight of me, on bended knee with a ring in my hand.  A million thoughts are running through my head.  I say the first thing I can manage:

"_You know our love was meant to be__The kind of love that lasts forever__And I need you here with me_

_From tonight until the end of time_"

"Donna," I pause and look up at her.  She's crying and smiling at the same time.  I take a deep breath and say very softly, "will you marry me?"

She's nodding, crying, and laughing.  "Yes," she says, and I know this is the one moment of my entire life I will never forget.

End


End file.
